


The Night Out

by afteriwake



Series: Second Chances [4]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 09:30:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/696813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock accompanies Irene to the event she asked him to attend with her, and certain truths come to light about Irene as well as what their relationship will entail in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Night Out

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoy this series. I love the idea of them having this type of relationship with each other.

The event Irene had mentioned rolled around three days after his arrival. Sherlock had taken advantage of Irene’s offer to get clothing and other things he needed, and now the closet was full of choice suits, shirts and trousers, as well as one tuxedo. The tuxedo was on him tonight, and at the moment he was standing in a crowded room of people, sipping a glass of champagne. He didn’t really like the stuff, but it had been pressed into his hand and so he was dutifully holding it.

Irene would spend time with him, but mostly she was off with small groups and couples, a bright smile on her face. She was networking, he could tell, though he didn’t know what kind of network she could possibly be setting up when she was going to remove herself from this life and return to London under her old name. He was watching her now with an older couple, Irene resplendent in an emerald green dress, and she turned and motioned for him to come closer. He stepped away from the wall and went up to the three of them.

“Boring party, isn’t it?” the older man said to Sherlock as he got close enough to be heard over the loud murmur of the other attendees.

“It’s not generally my type of event,” Sherlock said.

“Well, Margaret here…” Then he paused. “Or should we start using your real name?”

Sherlock quirked up an eyebrow and Irene chuckled. “My secret was out long ago apparently, Sherlock. Everyone knew who I really was but out of respect for me and my services they all played along.”

“You’re incredibly lucky,” Sherlock murmured.

“Yes, I am,” she said with a nod. Then she turned to the other man. “You may call me by my proper name if you prefer, David.”

“Very well, Irene,” he said with a grin. “Irene always makes these events more interesting. There’s always at least six single people here under her wing, and she’s trying to introduce them to their love matches. That’s what she did with us,” he said, turning to the woman near him. “I met Catherine at an event like this. It was love at first conversation.”

“Oh, David,” Catherine said with a smile. Then she turned to Sherlock. “We know all about you as well, Mr. Holmes. Quite a few of us followed your friend John Watson’s blog. We were sad when it was revealed you’d died and surprised when you came back. Do you know if he’ll be updating it again any time soon?”

Sherlock shook his head. “He’s on an extended vacation, so I don’t know if or when he’ll return to it.”

“A pity,” David said. “It was a good read.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know next time I speak to him,” Sherlock said with a nod.

“Thank you.” The music in the room changed and Catherine turned to David. “You owe me at least one dance tonight. I think I’d like to collect now.”

David laughed. “Very well. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Holmes. Good luck in London, Irene.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, and then the other couple was off. She looked at Sherlock. “Do you dance?”

He shook his head. “Not really.”

“Pity,” she said before taking a sip of her own champagne. “I believe I am almost done with my rounds. Then we can leave.”

“Would you like a dance?” he asked, slightly surprised at himself for making the offer. He _could_ dance, his mother having drilled many dances in his head when he was younger that he still hadn’t forgotten, but it seemed as though this crowd wasn’t doing anything complicated, instead swaying in time to the music as they moved around the floor. He just didn’t like to dance, but he got the feeling Irene would like him to dance with her at least once.

There was a brief look of surprise on her face before she smiled widely. “I would love a dance, Sherlock.” They set their glasses of champagne on a nearby table and went to the area set up as the dance floor. He held one of his hands out and she took it, and he set the other hand on her waist. She placed her other hand on his shoulder, and they stepped close. Then they began to dance. “Thank you for this,” she said quietly as they began to make their way around the floor. “I don’t usually dance, and this is nice.”

“You’re welcome,” he said.

“You are a good dancer,” she said with a smile, looking up at him. “You have a very feline grace, and it shows.”

“I’m glad.”

“It makes me wonder what you would be like doing other things,” she said, and her smile turned slightly seductive.

“It’s still too early for that,” he replied.

“I know,” she said with a slight chuckle. “I doubt you’ll give me a timeframe, so I’ll just wait, however impatiently.”

“Soon,” he said quietly, and she nearly stopped in the middle of the floor out of surprise. “I will admit, these last few nights I have thought about taking you to bed. The more I kiss you the less I want to part for the night.”

“You must have had some impressive dreams,” she said, her eyes slightly wide.

“A few,” he said with a slight nod. “I will admit that part of the trepidation I feel is that it has been a very long time for me.”

“So you aren’t intimidated about my past career?” she asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Not really,” he replied. “Though you may end up needing to take the lead on things.”

She smiled at him again. “I think this is the best news I’ve received all night,” she said. “You continue to surprise me, Sherlock. I hope I can do the same for you, or at least I hope I can live up to expectations.”

“I have no doubt you will,” he said.

They continued to dance until the song was over, and then they exited the dance floor area. This time Irene kept him close, and constantly found reasons to touch his hand or arm. He listened to the conversations she had and learned more about what she had been up to the last five years. By the time they went to the car Irene had called to take them home he felt that she had changed significantly over the time they had been apart.

It would not be a long drive to her home unless there were traffic delays, perhaps thirty minutes, but he would enjoy the quiet and solitude after the crush of people they had just left. They sat in the limo and she reached over for his hand. He gripped it tightly. “Thank you for coming with me tonight,” she said, turning to him. “I don’t have many more events like this that I need to attend, but you don’t need to come with me again if you don’t want to.”

“It’s all right,” he replied as he looked at her. “I was not as bored as I could have been once you began including me in the conversations.”

“I’m still so used to going to these events alone,” she said with a slight laugh. “I shouldn’t have left you alone so often.”

“I used the time to observe people,” he said with a slight shrug.

“Including me?”

“Especially you.” She smiled at him warmly. “You fascinate me, Irene.”

“I’m glad.” She moved closer to him. “You’ve fascinated me for years, Sherlock. I hope you never stop.”

He leaned over and kissed her then, and she melted against him. He pulled away only when he needed to breathe. “I hope you continue to fascinate me as well,” he murmured.

“I’ll try,” she said quietly before kissing him again. This felt right to him, kissing her. And he had been truthful when he said he didn’t want to stop as each night had worn on. When she pulled away as they got to her home he realized that the soon he had promised her might be approaching faster than he realized. She stepped out of the car and he joined her, and she reached over for his hand as they made their way up to her apartment. He knew that soon they would end up in bed together, possibly sooner than she realized, and he was perfectly fine with that. Now he just had to hope that once again reality matched his dreams.


End file.
